AMINO ACID COMPOSITION OF MONOMERIC AND POLYMERIC HUMAN SERUM ALBUMIN

All previous amino acid analyses of crystalline human serum albumin (HSA) have been performed on preparations which have been shown by gel electrophoresis to contain a number of polymeric forms. Monomeric albumin was separated from its higher M.W. components by means of a Sephadex G-150 column with Tris NaCl buffer at pH 8.1 using crystalline human albumin (Kabi) as the starting material. The physicochemical characteristics of the monomeric and polymeric fractions were investigated by means of acrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoelectrophoresis. Their amino acid composition was determined by automated ion-exchange chromatography. Although no significant differences were found between the original albumin sample and its monomer, some of the analytical data obtained differed from those of other investigators. The polymeric fraction showed some significant differences in amino acid composition from the monomer that require further verification. © 1968.